Sunday, July 10, 2011

Foods I've Been Digging

So, between diabetes with ever-increasing insulin resistance due to pregnancy and just typical pregnancy stuff, some things about my diet have changed. Here are some things that I've really been digging and that seem to work well for me...

Strawberries. Freaking yum! These are also one of the lowest-carb fruits so, as long as my blood sugar is at good levels, I can pass through the kitchen, grab one, and nom it without thinking of insulin. I couldn't do that with, say, a slice of apple.

Raw veggies. Baby carrots have been really nice to snack on, even without any dip, though I do have to bolus a little for them if I'm having more than a couple. Celery? If I'm willing to take the time to cut it up, this is one of those no-insulin snacks for me. Or if I want some peanut butter without a ton of carbs, this is a better option than crackers or toast. And for our weekly RPG nights, I usually grab a bag of raw broccoli and cauliflower at the store and dump it in a bowl with a little side of ranch. I do bolus a little for this, but it's mostly a good nosh-all-night kind of snack.

Those little single-serving snack packs, the kind that are usually marketed for being 100 calories. If I want something junky, these keep me from going overboard.

The turkey burger from Carl's Jr. No fries, just the burger. For some reason, of all the fast food options I've tried when just desperate for fast food, this one has been the kindest to my blood sugar. No spikes, and no fat-related rise later on. Awesome.

Peanut butter. This is a comfort food for me, it's not high carb, and it's about the right amount of fat (good fat!) and protein that it helps smooth out sugar rises without causing a fat-related rise later on. I've been eating a lot of this stuff since getting pregnant.

Low fat milk instead of skim. I love milk but, sadly, lactose is one of the faster-acting sugars out there. But add a little fat to a meal and that helps chill things out. I also made this switch early on because I kept being told I wasn't gaining enough weight. This was an easy way to add some fat and calories.

Vanilla Soy Slender. When I want milk but my blood sugar isn't doing so great, or if I just feel like drinking a big glass of milk without all the carbs, I'll drink this stuff. It's only 4 carbs a cup, and it totally satisfies my milk cravings.

Diet Rite, especially the funky flavors. In addition to being diet (and therefore carb free), it's also aspartame free and sodium free. The cola is decent, but I love picking up their funkier varieties, like tangerine or cherry cola.

These have all been good choices for me. Maybe they aren't all the best choices I could make (I could surely be better off without any fast food or junk), but they work.

Two things I'll soon be adding, with hope that they also "work for me," are prunes and watermelon. Prunes are just to help keep things closer to normal now that I'm at a point where my digestive system is naturally running more slowly, and the watermelon is an experiment to see if it helps with swelling (something I was told and have read a couple places online). I figure that, even if it does absolutely nothing for my swollen ankles, at least it's a good summer time fruit that's very low in carbs.